Mandolin.



W. MGGULLOUGH.

MANDOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED M2123, 1910.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

ation-mgl .'oRms Fermes co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

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WILLIAM MGCULLOUGrI-I, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OLIVER SUMMERFIELD, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

IVIANDOLIN.

esame.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 23, 1910.

Patented Apr.. 11, 1911.

Serial No. 583,508.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, WILLIAM TalloCUL- Louer-i, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Mandolin, of which the following is a specification.

llhis invention has reference to improvements in musical instruments, and more particularly that type of musical stringed instruments known as mandoline.

The object of thepresent invention is to improve and cheapen the construction of the instrument, and to this end the invention contemplates the use of an animal skin, possessing certain characteristics, for the formation of the bowl of the instrument, the neck and tail blocks being of ordinary construction, and some resonant material, such as wood, being used for the sounding board.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to the exact showing of the drawings, since it is susceptible of various modifications so long as the salient features of the invention are retained.

ln the drawings z-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mandolin constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a cross section adjacent to the bridge and looking toward the tail block.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a mandolin composed of a body portion 1, a neck member 2, a tail block 3 and a sound ing board 4, upon which is mounted a bridge Y 5, and the mandolin is shown as provided with strings 6.

The neck 2 and tail block 3 may be formed of wood after the usual practice in stringed instruments of this character, and the sounding board 4 may be a thin wooden plate secured at the edges to the body or bowl 1 and supported where necessary by transverse braces 7 The sounding board 4 is provided with a passage 8 whereby communication may be had directly from the body of air confined within the chamber formed of the bowl 1 and sounding board 4 to the eX- ternal atmosphere.

Aside from the bowl 1, the mandolin structure may be the same as is ordinarily em ployed, except that the neck 2 and tail block 8 are adapted to the particular formation of the bowl 1 and the sound board 4 is shaped to this particular' formation, since the bowl 1 is a natural product and may, therefore, vary somewhat in shape.

The bowl 1 is made from the armor-like cara aace of the armadillo, this carapace being formed by ossiiication of the greater' part of the skin of the animal, and the union of the bony scutes. `While the invention is not confined to any particular species of the armadillo, that variety known as the peba is eminently adapted for'the purposes of the present invention.

But little preparation is needed to adapt the carapace of the armadillo to the purposes of the present invention, it only being necessary to remove the carapace from the body of the animal and dry it, after first extending the carapace into the form in which it is to be ultimately used, this form being practically that of the form usually given the bowl of a. mandolin. Those portions of the carapace which in the animal accommodate the head and the tail are utilized for the reception of the neck 2 and tail block 3, respectively, these parts being initially suitably shaped and the pore tions of the carapace receiving them are glued thereto, and then the sounding board 4 may be glued to the edges of the carapace and to the neck and tail block where entering the head and tail openings of the caraace.

The tail block 3 serves for the reception of pins 9, to which the corresponding ends of the strings 6 are secured, and the usual metallic shield 10 is provided and secured to the tail block for supporting the strings where they change direction in passing from the pins 9 to the bridge 5, so that these strings when stretched will be prevented from sinking into the wooden tail block.

A mandolin having its bowl formed of the carapace of the armadillo has been found in practice to give a marked mellow tone, and has particularly powerful resonant qualities which are probably due to the bony structure of the carapace. Furthermore, the bowl 1 is so resistant to injury that it will remain unharmed under conditions which would be destructive to wooden or other like bowls. This is due to the bony scutes and the cementing material uniting them, this cementing material being probably of a cartilaginous nature. The cara- Ipace of the armadillo has the hardness of bone due to its bony structure, and elastic` ity due to more or less incorporated material of a cartilaginous nature, so that besides having naturally the shape eminently adapt.- ed for forming the bowl ot a mandolin without the necessity of modifying such shape, it has resonant qualities and also resistance to distortive or other injurious forces, these several qualities adapting the carapace of the armadillo to use as the bowl for a mandolin in a manner superior to other materials. Moreover, the bony structure of the armadillo carapace permits the production thereon oi" a high polish with a natural contiguration augn'ienting the ornamental appearance to a high degree.

'Vhat is claimed is l. A mandolin having the bowl formed of the armor-like carapace of the armadillo with a sounding' board united to the edges of the carapace.

2. A mandolin having a bowl formed of the armor-like carapace ot the armadillo with a sounding board united atI the edges to the edges of the carapace.

3. A mandolin having a bowl iormed of the armor-like carapace ot' the armadillo with a sounding' board united at the edges to the edges of the carapace, a tail block secured to the bowl in the tail opening ont the carapace, and a neck having one end secured in the head opening of the carapace.

it. A mandolin having a bowl formed of the complete armor-like carapace of Athe armadillo with a plate-like sounding board secured at the edges to the edges of the carapace, a tail block secured in the tail opening of the carapace, a neck secured in the head opening of the carapace, bracing means on the inner side of the sound board, a bridge on the sounding board, and strings secured to the tail piece and the outer end of the neck.

In testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

111s VVLLULM MGCULLO'UGH.

mark lWitnesses lWILLIAM VJARDEN, PAUL W. Drr'rMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatcnts, /"ashington, D. C. 

